Feeding device



June 1 927 J. w. RICHTER FEEDING DEVICE Fi1ed Feb.9. 19 24 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 21, 1927' w. RICHTER FEEDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 9. 1924 llrlLll IMII .r rLl lrlLvll.

@0872???" Q /0721? W/Pj'fl er 3 Patented June 21, 1927.

u-urran s'TA Es PATENT OFF-l JOHN wnmnil 31mm or cnrcnoo, rumors, n'ssxenoa r wins'rnn'n xnncrmc comm, mconronarnn, or NEW YORK, 11. Y., A coaromrron or muw Yonx.

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Application fled February a, 1924. se'fi i no. eo1,aea.

formed thereon and to automatically eject worked articles from the'holder.

Another object of this invention is to provide a feeding mechanism which is comparatively simple in all of its parts, exceed-. ingly simple in operation and which is ca-. pa

le of being. operated at a speed. v

A still further object of this invention is to provide a feeding device which occupies a relatively small amount of floor space and which may be readily and rapidly operated by a single operator. Additional objects of this invention are to high rate of properly position a holder to receive an article transferred thereto from a feeding des vice and to position the holder in a machine which performs work upon the article.

Other objects and advantages of the pres ent invention will more fully ap ar in the following description and will b: particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In accordance with the general features and objects of this invention, there is provided a hopper which is kept filled to a suitable height with the articles to be fed. One side of the hopper is provided with a plurality of grooves, each 0 which leads to a vertical feedway or chute. Means comprising a plurality of revolvin cam-like agitators are,

provided for proper y seating and stacking the articles in the feedways. An automatic stop mechanism is provided for closing the passage at the to of each feedway so as to prevent the artic es being stacked above a certain predetermined point which would interfere with the operation of the agitators. Mechanism is provided for simultaneously releasing and feeding the article at'the bottom of each feedway into a holder positioned thereunder, while the remaining articles in each stack are held in position and preventedfrom dropping. Upon the completion of the desired work on said articles they are e ected from said holder by the insertionof unworked articles or blanks. Means-is also provided for properly positioning the'holder to receive articles from the'feedwa s and a guide 1s provided to position the ho der in a nliachme for performing work upon the artic es.

One embodiment of the invention.is 'illus-' trated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the part of the machme, showingthe hopupper per an e blanks Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fi 1.

mechanism for arranging t in vertical feedways.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectlon through the lower art of the machine, taken on the same p ane as Fig.; 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a blank suitable for use in a machine shown in 1 to 4 inclusive, and v Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the blank holder showing its clamping sections separated from each other.

The invention is illustrated in connection with a machine for milling lamp bases but it will be understood that the general features of this invention may be 'adapted for use in connection with widely'difiering machines.

The main support of the machine comprises an upright-member 10 which is suitabl secured to the top of a table or bench 11 y bolts 12. Rigidly secured to the support member 10 or formed integral there- .with is a vertical back member 13, in one side of which are a plurality of vertical grooves or feedways 14. The upper part of member 13 S10 es back at an angle and a metal plate 15 fastened to a bottom piece 16, together with side plates 17, form a hopper for holding a supply of blanks 18. Bearing lugs 19 formed at each end of vertical member 13 support a shaft 20 to which is kegsd a pulley 21 which may be driven by a It 22-from any suitable source of power (not shown).

The shaft 20 has also keyed thereto, oneopposite the center of each feedway, agitator I 1,esa,aea

- blades 23 with spacers between them. rotated "in a counter clock-wise direction The pulley 21- has a cam, 25 of an angulafRigidly secured to or formedmtegral with cross section fastened on its inner .face by screws 125, which cam extends about half way around, the function of wluch w1 hereinafter be described;

An arm 26 is integral with a shaft 27 carried in bearings 28 mounted on either side of the vertical member 13 in such a position that the up er part of, arm 26 is enga ed by the perip cry of thec'am 25- asthe pu ey 21 is revolved. A late .29 is keyed to the shaft 27 and exten s completely acrcsstheface of the machine; the upper ed e of this plate is lapped over to form 'a orwardly 'projectin portion 30, which normally rests against t e upper ortions of a lurality of levers 31 on a she 32 carried y brackets 33 secured to the vertical member 13, one on each side thereof. A bridge-like crossmember 35 is fastened to upright 13 at each end thereof and is provided with a-plurality of holes 36 which are in alignment with holes or openings 37 drilled in the levers 31. Bolts 38 are inserted throughthe openings 36 and 37 and are rigidly secured to a plurality of levers 40,- which their centers on a shaft 41 carried by supportin brackets 42. Compression slirings 43 enclrclin the bolts 38 between the evers and the inner wall of the'brid emember 35 tend to keep the lower ends of levers 4O inthe vertical rooves or feedways 14. A glass plate 47 is eld in place on the front of the machine by retaining members 48. At the foot of the glass plate 47 isa cross member 50 .to which are secured, one o posite each feedway, fiat springs 51, each 0 which carries, at its lower end, a, stud 52. The tension of the spring 51 causes the studs 52 to tend to enter the feedways and normally ress against the blanks which are in the eedwa s at that point, with sufficient force to hol ,them from slipping by. Hooked under the lower end of each of these springs, and extending. the full width of the machine is a cross member 54, which is rigidly secured to a shaft 55 carried by supporting brackets 56 mounted onthe u right 13. Thelower end of the cross inem er 54 is bifurcated at about the middle thereof, to form a oke which permits a bolt 57 to ride therein. The bolt 57 is rigidly secured to a flat cross piece 58 which is hinged on a rod 59'and is. subject to the pressure of a coil spring 60 enclrcling said 'rod, which tends toforce itsup er-end toward the upright member 13.

' hand lever is pivoted on a pin 66 secured to support member 10 and a second lever 67, which is connected to lever 65 by, a link 68, is, pivoted on a shaft 69 supported by brackets 70. Also pivoted on the shaft 69 isa feeding member 71, which has, opposite each feedway, a finger 72 designed to enter the feedway 14 when the member 71 is ll link 74 to form a knuckle joint.

one opposite each feedway, to a cross front end oft are pivoted near a he feeding member-71 is a link 7 3 which is connected to the end of lever 65 by a second a A plurality of leaf springs 75 are secured,

piece 76. The lower ends of these-springs are bent inwardly slightly so that they pro- 'ect into the feedways far enough to revent lanks 18from slip in down by orce of gravity. One end 0 a ink 78 is pivoted to' the lever 65 intermediate its pivot point 66 and the end thereof, while the other end of said link is pivoted to a second link 7 9,which is keyed to or formed inte va1 with the shaft 55. A blank holder 80 ig. 6) is suitably held in position as by clamplng members 81 secured to the top of the bench. The holder 80 comprises a plurality of clamping sections 111 loosely mounted side by side on apair of parallel rods 112. Threaded at one e rods 112 are adjustin screws 113 and carried at opposite ends t ereof is a member 114 having a bifurcated portion 115 within which is mounted a pin 116. Pivoted on the pin 116 is a lever 117 having a cam surface 118 whichengages the end of a lug 119 formed integral with the section 111 adjacent to the member 114. The adjoining surfaces of the sections 111 are provided with grooves which, cooperate to form openings 120 and 121 between the adjacent sections 111. The blanks 18 are inserted in the openings 121 formed between each of the sections 111 and are firmly clamped therein by turning the lever 117 in a clockwise direction which causes the member 114 to move to a the left, as viewed in Fig. 6, causing the sections 111 to movetowar 5 each other. A reciprocating member 82, carrying spreader pins 83, is pivoted at 84 to lever 67 and at each depression of the hand lever 65, forces the spreader pins in the openings 120 between adjacent parts 111 of the holder 80 to separate them and thus facilitate the ejec tion of milled articles fresh blanks. I

The ,top of the bench is provided with an openin 85 to rmit the'milled articles .to drop. tirough into any suitable container (not shown). A stop 86 is pivoted at 87 and 88 and a lever is held in position by a sprin a justed by a set and the insertion of of the feed grooves to agitate the mass of blanks, allowing properly seated ones to drop down the feedways and ejecting improperl seated ones. On each revolution of the pn ley, cam 25 strikes arm 26 movin it to the right as viewed in Fig. l causin t ic member 29, which is kcycdto the shaft 27, to likewise move to the right to push the upper ends of levers 31 outwardly thereby liftin the lower ends of lovers 40 out of the feedways to permit any blanks which are caught thereon to drop down. At the same time the upper bent portion of levers 40 are forced into the feedways so as to temporarily sto the blanks from dropping down the feed ways which would interfere with the operation of said levers. When afeedway is fully supplied up to a point 100 (Fig. 1), the upper bent portion of lever 40 Wlll be held in the feedway until the supply once more drops to release said lever. This is to prevent the feedways from filling up to a point which would interfere with the operation of the agitator blades. The mechanism above described is all actuated by pulley 21 as is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the stud 52 on spring 51 normally presses against the lowest blank in the column with suflicient pressure to prevent any from dropping. Upon depression of the hand lever 65, link 78, being pivoted to said hand lever to the right of the pivot point thereof, moves upward and through link 79, causes the yoke end of member 54 to move in, and the upper end thereof to move out. This causes member 58 to swing into the feedway and at the same time releases the stud 52, allowing the blank to drop down and rest on said member. At the same time by the operation of the knuckle ,joint above described, blank 18, at the lowermost position in the feed chute, is forced down into the holder by feed member 71, driving the previously milled article ahead of it through the opening 85. The stop member 86 is forced aside by the wedge shaped article so as to allow it to pass after which the spring 88 restores said stop to its normal position to prevent the passage of the flat bottom blanks.

Upon the release of the lever 65, a spring 98 restores it to normal osition and the member 58 is drawn out o the feedway allowing the blank, which was released by the down stroke of the lever to drop to the bottom of the feedway; at the same time the stud 52 is pressed on the next blank above to prevent it from dropping. The holder 80 is then manually withdrawn by means of a handle 101 attached to it, inserted in the miller 95 and then returned to be reloaded.

From the foregoin it will be seen that a machine embodying t e features of this invention is exceedingly simple in all its parts,

semi-automatic in its operation, and may be tion which should be limited only by the g scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An article feeding mechanism comprising a receptacle havin a feed groove therein for receiving proper y positioned articles contained in said receptacle, a feedway communicating with said feed groove, an agitator includin a rotating cam blade passing in and out 0 said feed groove for removing improperly positioned articles therefrom and engaging properly posltioned articles in said feed groove to thereby facilitate the passage of properly positioned articles into said feedway, and means actuating in response to the )osition of the uppermost article in said eedwa for controlling the passage of additiona articles therein.

2. An article feeding mechanism comprising a receptacle having a feed groove therein for receiving properly positioned articles contained in said receptacle, a feedway communicating with said feed groove, an agitator passing in and out of said feed groove for removing improperly positioned articles therefrom to facilitate the passage of properly positioned articles into said feedway, a pivoted member movable in and out of said feedway and actuating in response to the position of the uppermost article therein for controlling the passage of additional articles, and common means for simultaneously operating the agitator and said pivoted member.

3. An article feeding mechanism comprising a receptacle having a feed groove therein for receiving properly positioned articles contained in said receptacle, a feedway communicating with said feed groove, an agitator passing in and out of said feed groove for removing improperly positioned articles therefrom to facilitate the passage of preperl positioned articles into said feedway, a ho der for receiving articles, one ata time, from said feedway, and means for removing an article from said fe'edway forcing the removed article against an article in said holder and thereby simultaneously ejecting the previously inserted article from the holder and inserting therein the article removed from said feedway.

4'. An article feeding mechanism'comprising a receptacle, a feedway connected therewith, means for passing properly seated articles from said receptacle into said feedw'ay, means for feeding said articles from sa1d feedway into a holder so that work may be performed thereon, and means controlled by the condition of the articles in said holder for controlling thepasssge of said articles therethrough.

5. An article feedin mechanism com rising a receptacle, a fee way connected t rewith, means for passinglpro rly seated articles from said rcceptac e in said feedway means for feedin said articles from said feedway into a ho der so that work may be performed thereon, and means for passing worked articles through said holder and preventing the passage of unworked articles therethrough.

6. An article feeding mechanism comprising a receptaclaa plurality of icedways con-p nected there means for proper] seated articles from said receptacle into feedways, means for feeding said articles from said feedways into a older sothat work may be rformed thereon, and a ently moun vstop member auociated with said holder to permit the passage therethrough of worked articles and prevent the passage of unworked articles.

In witneu whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 30 day of January A. D., 1924.

John WILLIAM RICHTER. 

